Escotts is a shop that you would expect to find in Kensington or Chelsea, not West Hampstead. They…read moredo very posh upholstery,curtains and blinds, focussing on just a few designers, which include Jane Churchill, Andrew Martin, Malabar and Liberty Furnishings. Their prices are borderline extortionate, but they have made some spectacular blinds for me over the years so I thought that they deserved a mention.

Three generations of our family have used Escotts. We've all been pleased by their fine…read morecraftsmanship, attention to detail and honesty. They provide an excellent service and you get what you pay for. If an item of furniture is going to cost a lot, they are completely upfront about it, leaving you to decide whether to go ahead or not. You might call it pricey but when it lasts for decades, it's a worthwhile investment! Mark's cheery singing is worth a listen, Jean's advice on fabrics is spot-on and Derek turns getting a quote into a fun experience. The last piece of furniture they re-upholstered for me was a sofa, which got compliments from every visitor to our home, 'on sight', followed by further satisfied sounds 'on seat'. Unlike other 'upholsterers', Escotts make a real effort with the stuff on the inside that you can't see, as well as exteriors. I would trust them to do a good job on chairs, curtains, blinds and even last minute adjustments on wedding dresses (I couldn't think of anyone else I could trust with such an important job! lI don't think that's a usual part of their trade though.) I even have a stool that needs re-covering in mind for the next generation of our family, who is due to join us early next year. If you want bespoke upholstery work from a local family business, definitely try Escotts.

I went in here looking for glasses. For a present, they make good presents I think because they…read morealways seem to break so even if a person is fully stocked up at the moment, you know that your gift will come in useful sooner or later. And because your gift will also inevitably break at some point you can reuse the idea next year. This is a kitchen ware store mostly. They sell all sort of gadgets as well as the basics, salt and pepper shakers and cutlery. They also sell some gardening stuff and general homeware. I suppose it's like a more up market Homebase without all the hassle.

I would love to support local shops but I always find the staff here rude. I dare not ask a…read morequestion or inconvenience them by wanting to make a purchase. I was hopeful the recent takeover would result in a more positive experience but the staff remained and no customer service training appears to have been undertaken. It is also quite expensive for some products. It's a shame because they now have a very nice range and the layout is much improved.

Its worth a trip out to West Hampstead's Fortune Green to discover this large and very civilised…read moreseller of hardwood floors.The floors are all real wood and come in most woods imaginable-from the lightest white oak to darkest mahogany. Helpful sales assistants fill one in on some of the pitfalls of buying a real wood floor-for example, I had not known that very light wood limed floors can crack badly if exposed to water-so a no-no for bathrooms and kitchens. All of the woods sold come from sustainable resources. A pleasant hassle-free shopping experience in airy beautifully decorated surroundings with a lot of floors on display.

This Aladdin's cave of Persian and Afghan furnishings is a charming little store on Kilburn High…read moreRoad. There are some beautiful textiles and upholstery that has a Moroccan feel to it and the style of them is magical. I love the furniture in here and there are some stunning trinkets and exquisite storage ideas that have an exotic look to them. The pieces in this shop could really transform the interior of a place. I would love to buy some of the striking items in here but everything is just a little too pricey for me. If I had the money I would have bought the whole shop by now and I understand why the items are expensive because of the craft and skill gone into making the beautiful pieces. If you're looking for something a little different and exotic for your home and you are willing to pay around £30 for cushion covers, or up to £500 for storage items for example I would suggest taking a look in this lovely family run shop.

Great little shop. Has most of the basics along with some harder to find items. The store is clean…read moreand we'll kept. Love that it's a mom and pop operation.

This is not only an amazing store where they have literally everything you are looking for, from…read morekitchen stuff to DIY, but the staff are incredibly helpful and kind. They did a repair for me and only charged for the parts, devising an ingenious way of fixing a household item. A great place to shop and get advice!

Finally a decent hardware store in Hampstead. Somehow actually manages to have better stock than…read moreHomebase in a fraction of the space. Good for various chemicals and things that can't be shipped either.